Place Attachment and Well-Being Interrelations in Traditional and New Settlements in Alanya Highlands

Abstract

The psychological well-being of individuals is under the influence of many variables, and place attachment is one of the phenomena that need to be emphasized. Until now, there have been limited studies on place attachment and psychological well-being in traditional and modern second homes. From this point of view, this study was carried out with the people living on the western Mediterranean coast of Turkey in Alanya. The locals living in the center of Alanya move to the highlands on the northern slopes of the Taurus Mountains every summer. Besides many other reasons, this seasonal movement is a psychological need for the well-being of these people. The essential characteristic of the highland settlements and houses is their close relationship with nature. A natural environment surrounded homes, including many wild plants and animal species. In the area, two-story traditional houses are located in extensive gardens. The semi-open living spaces were directed to the north to get the cool winds and openly see the natural view. Today, new roads that facilitate the transportation of new building materials and the increasing income levels of the people created a new housing and settlement pattern. Gardens were divided into small parcels, and a denser housing pattern developed. Therefore, the humannature relationship is weakening. Moreover, problems such as noise, pollution, and parking issues arose. For that reason, this study aims to measure and compare residents' well-being and place attachment levels in old and new settlements and houses in Alanya highlands. The people who lived in both locations and residences were asked to answer a questionnaire to collect the data. The researcher used a random sampling method to determine the participants and formed a sample group with people from different gender and various age groups. The findings revealed a positive relationship between place attachment and the well-being level of the occupants both in traditional and modern second homes in Alanya Highlands. Still, place attachment is a higher predictor of the psychological well-being of the people living in new settlements and houses.